Lazear Named Wisconsin Technical College Trustee of the Year 2025

Photo, from left to right: Layla Merrifield, Wisconsin Technical College System President; Dianne Lazear, Nicolet College Board of Trustees Member; Kate Ferrel, Nicolet College President; Abbey Dall Lukowski, Nicolet College Board of Trustees Chair.

Dianne Lazear of Tomahawk has been named Trustee of the Year by the Wisconsin Technical College District Board Association in recognition of her outstanding service to technical college education.  

Lazear serves on the Nicolet College Board of Trustees and represents Lincoln County. She is one of 144 trustees across Wisconsin’s 16 technical colleges.  

Each year, nominees for Trustee of the Year are evaluated based on their engagement in local, state, and national advocacy and other collaborative work for the benefit of students and technical education. 

A former Nicolet College faculty member and administrator, Lazear has served on the Nicolet College Board of Trustees since 2019.  

“Trustees are often asked, ‘Why do you serve?’ For me, it’s the same answer that I gave when I was hired by Nicolet College, almost 30 years ago,” said Lazear. “The answer is: ‘Think global, act local.’”  

The impacts of Lazear’s activities have been wide-ranging, from local to national levels. Locally, on the Nicolet College Board of Trustees, Lazear has served as Treasurer, Vice Chair and Chair, while leading key efforts including the presidential selection process, key performance indicators, and policy review. 

Lazear also developed a trustee handbook and new trustee orientation process to help onboard incoming trustees each year. These tools are now offered as best practices across the state and used as a format and reference in other community colleges across the country.  

“Dianne is truly a role model for her fellow trustees,” said Abbey Dall Lukowski, chair of the Nicolet College Board of Trustees. “Her tireless efforts, passionate engagement, and selfless service to the college and our students are an inspiration to us.”  

Lazear has also participated in state-level committees and presented at the Association of Community College Trustees National Leadership Conference, continuing her advocacy on a broader stage. 

“This work transforms individual lives, and as a result, transforms families, communities, and the state, as all ripples matter, transforms the world around us,” Lazear added.